Artificial minnow.



W. J. KAHLO.

ARTIFICIAL MINNOW.

APPLICATION FILED 00'1.9,1908.

925,482, I Patented June 22, 1909.

UNITE STAES PATNT @FFIQE.

WILLIAM J. KAHLO, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

ARTIFICIAL MIN NOW.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IVILLIAM J. KAHLo, citizen of the United States, residing at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Artificial Minnows; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in artificial minnows for catching fish and the same embodies the novel arrangement and the details of construction hereinafter shown, described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of a minnow constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same partly in vertical section; Fig. 3 is a plan view; Fig. 4 is a perspective of the upper or body section of the minnow; Fig. 5 is a perspective of the lower pivoted section; and Fig. 6 is a front view showing the means for releasing the hook, the section being on line ccw, Fig. 2.

Referring to the details, the minnow proper is constructed with an upper or main section 1 and a lower section 2 pivoted at an intermediate point thereto, the section 2 having a slight tilting movement upon its pivot, there being tapered spaces 4 between the sections.

5 is a member constructed of resllient sheet metal and having oppositely extending fingers 6 which direct slight pressure upon the section 2 and maintain the latter normally in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the ends of the member 2 being resiliently held in spaced relation to the ends of the member 1.

7 is a vertical web upon the member 5 upon which the section 2 is pivoted.

The sections 1 and 2 when assembled have the general outline of a natural minnow. The section 2 is slotted at 8 to receive the web 7, this construction maintaining the section 2 in alined position upon its pivot.

Extending into the ends of the section 1 are vertical slots 9 and 10 which completely divide the section 1 at both ends. These slots are provided to permit the free movement of spring hooks 11 and 11 having portions turned about the pins 12 and 12, the

hooks having the usual barb and pointed Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 9, 1908.

Patented June 22, 1909.

Serial No. 456,896.

ends 13 and 13, the inner portions 14. and 14c of the spring wire of which the hooks are formed constituting setting and holding members, the ends 15 and 15 being engaged by the fingers of the individual when the hooks are to be set.

16 and 16 indicate the inner ends of pins carried by the section 1 and these project part way into the slots 9 and 10 and serve as catches for the portions 14 and 1 1 of the hooks, the spaces between the ends of the pins 16 and 16 and the walls of the slots being suflicient to permit the disengagement and passage of the ends 14 and 1 1 when the hooks are to be set as in Fig. 2, the ends 1 1 and 14 in the operation of setting the hooks being first, moved in the direction of the arrows, Fig. 2, and then in a reverse direction to engage the pins 16 and 16.

17 and 17 are catches in the form of lips upon the section 1 to engage and hold the hooks in set position, as in Fig. 2. These catches are shown as plates attached to the section 1 and having inwardly extending edges at the lower margins of the slots in the body section, there being sufficient space between the projecting edges and the 0pposite walls of the slots to permit the disengagement and upward movement of the hooks tothe dotted positions a Fig. 2, when the latter are released by sidewise pressure thereon.

The means for releasing the hooks comprise upstanding metal members 18 18 disposed at the ends of the section 2 and having bearing edges 19 and 19 to engage and slide along the hooks to force them in a sidewise direction and thereby release them from the catches 17 and 17.

20 is an eye for the attachment of a line to the minnow.

To prevent the lodgment of weeds in the spaces between the sect-ions 1 and 2, the front and rear ends of the minnow are protected by pieces of flexible fabric 21 and 21 cemented by a suitable adhesive thereto, the flexibility of the fabric permitting the unhindered movement of the section 2 relative to the section 1.

In the operation of the device the hooks are set as in Fig. 2, being inclosed in the slots provided in the body section. As the fish strikes the minnow, either from the front or the rear, the section 2 will tilt relative to the section 1 by the pressure of the jaws of the fish, and the hook at the end struck will be released instantly. The hook is then reset as in Fig. 2.

Although I have shown two hooks operated in like manner, it is obvious that one hook only may be provided at the head end of the minnow.

In practice the body section and the lower tilting section may be constructed of either wood or metal, aluminum being desirable as a material for this purpose. It is also apparent that the minnow may be suitably decorated in colors to represent a natural minnow.

What I claim, is

1. An artificial minnow consisting of a main body section provided with a longitudinal slot, a lower section pivoted thereto, spring means for normally maintaining the lower section in spaced relation to the main section, a spring hook disposed in the slot in the main section, a catch upon the main section to hold the hook in set position, and means upon the lower section to release the hook from the catch.

2. An artificial minnow consisting of a main body section provided with a longitudinal vertical slot extending into each end thereof, a spring hook disposed in each slot,

a catch for each hook upon the body section, a lower section pivoted at a central point to the body section, resilientmeans for maintaining the ends of the lower section in spaced relation to the ends of the body section, and releasing means at the ends of the lower section adapted to disengage the hooks from their catches.

8. An artificial minnow consisting of a main body section provided with a longitudinal vertical slot extending into each end thereof, a spring hook disposed in each slot, a catch for each hook upon the body section, a lower section pivoted at a central point to the body section, resilient means for maintaining the ends of the lower section in spaced relation to the ends of the body section, releasing means at the ends of the lower section adapted to disengage the hooks from their catches, and sections of flexible fabric secured to and connecting the ends of the body section and the lower section.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

WM. J. KAIILO.

I Vitnesses CARL H. KELLER, Ross H. RAMSEY. 

